The Fox Lake District Library serves most of Grant Township, Illinois, with a total service population of 18,533 people (2000 census) in Fox Lake, Ingleside and portions of Lakemoor, Round Lake, Spring Grove, Volo and also small portions of Antioch and Burton Townships.
Our collection includes over 70,000 adult and children's books, videotapes, compact discs and recorded books. Listings of our periodical holdings and videotape holdings may be viewed by clicking on these links or the buttons above. Select the video & Internet policies button to read our video lending rules.
We offer twelve public Internet terminals; use of terminal is free except for a ten cents per page charge for printing. Sign-in and observance of library Internet use policy is required.
Fox Lake District Library History
The Fox Lake District Library's long history of serving Fox Lake and Grant Township area communities began in 1938, when the library was established as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project with the Village of Fox Lake and the Fox Lake Woman's Club as cosponsors. The library's location was in the office of the Nagel Lumber Yard on Grand Avenue in the center of Fox Lake.
Taxpayer support for the library began in 1944, and the library moved to the Krec Building, which is located where the current Dollar General store is, farther east on Grand Avenue from the library's original location. In the 1960s, the library board conducted a door-to-door fundraising campaign and secured a down payment for the original 1800 square foot library building at the library's present site at 255 E. Grand Avenue in Fox Lake.
A milestone in the library's history occurred in 1975, when the library converted by referendum from a village library to a district library, enabling it to serve territory outside the boundaries of the Village of Fox Lake. In 1976, most of the remainder of Grant Township, Illinois, was annexed to the library district following voter approval by referendum.
Another milestone in the library's history occurred in 1976 when Head Librarian Harry J. Bork and the board of library trustees secured a federal building grant of over $745,000.00 to enable the construction of a building addition of approximately 15,000 square feet, with the current library facility being the result.
In ensuing years, the library's main entrance was moved and reconstructed in compliance with the American's with Disabilities Act, again with the assistance of government grant money, and the library facility's parking lot was greatly expanded.
The Fox Lake District Library now looks toward the future with the planning of a new library facility. The new facility is envisioned to serve a population expected to more than double by the year 2030.
